Thinline towed array tension sensor

An apparatus for measuring tension in a thin-line towed array, said apparatus comprising:

• a towed array hose;
• an internal strength member encompassed by said towed array hose with said internal strength member having a plurality of ropes;
• a clevis connected to said towed array hose and said plurality of ropes of said internal strength member with said clevis defining an end of a module of the thin-line towed array;
• and
• a plurality of tension sensors connected to a portion of said plurality of ropes;
• wherein said tension sensors comprise strain gages having a plurality of tension grids and a plurality of cross-tension grids wired in a Wheatstone bridge in which a tension grid and a cross-tension grid of a first strain gage form one side of said Wheatstone bridge and a tension grid and a cross-tension grid of a second strain gage form another side of said Wheatstone bridge.

A method of measuring tension in a thin-line towed array, said method comprising the steps of:

• attaching a first strain gage to a first side of a planar tab wherein the first strain gage includes a tension grid that aligns with a longitudinal axis of the tab and a cross-tension grid perpendicular to the tension grid;
• attaching a second strain gage to a second side of the tab, wherein the second strain gage includes a tension grid and a cross-tension grid perpendicular to the tension grid and wherein the tension grid of the second strain gage aligns with the longitudinal axis of the planar tab;
• wiring the first strain gage and the second strain gage in a Wheatstone bridge in which the tension grid and cross-tension grid of the first strain gage form one side of the Wheatstone bridge and the tension grid and cross-tension grid of the second strain gage form another side of the Wheatstone bridge;
• connecting a first end of the tab to an end of a module of the thin-line towed array;
• connecting a second end of the tab to an internal strength member inside a module of the thin-line towed array;
• and
• measuring voltage change across the Wheatstone bridge as a function of strain on the planar tab.